Below, some of my first efforts at a new technique- epoxy painting on glass. These look great with light behind them: yet more birds at sunset, etched and then stained dark, with a goldleafed sun and covered with colored epoxy. Also, a sihouette of birds and branches, etched, stained dark, then covered with colored epoxy. When I feel comfortable with this technique, we'll make some boxes using it.
Our newest box: walnut with woodburned and painted top and base. It's a "Contrast" box with (hopefully) a good deal of contrast between the top and the inside (shown below). It's now for sale.
Below, some of my first efforts at a new technique- epoxy painting on glass. These look great with light behind them: yet more birds at sunset, etched and then stained dark, with a goldleafed sun and covered with colored epoxy. Also, a sihouette of birds and branches, etched, stained dark, then covered with colored epoxy. When I feel comfortable with this technique, we'll make some boxes using it.
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Here is our new box: birds etched in a circle on glass over a base painted as a sunset, with a 22K goldleafed sun. The base is very shiny, so the birds are reflected in it. The sides and top frame are curly maple, and this is my favorite box in a while. It's just stunning. It's in the same style as our Mahogany Koi Box, and these are so lovely that we'll definitely do more like them. Below, more evidence of my current preoccupation with tentacles: an etched glass box top (I'm thinking a box like the sunset one, only with a deep blue base), and a woodburned octopus. I wish we could have an octopus as a pet, but I hear they're even worse pains in the ass than parrots. And yet another etched glass tentacles endeavor: jellyfish. And in case you think I had forgotten all about bright birds, a woodburned and painted parakeet.
We're proud to announce that some of our boxes will be on display in the Austin ABIA airport starting in February; our airport is very good about supporting local artists, and we're thrilled to have been selected for exhibition. Also, here is a really pretty new box: the top is maple, with woodburned ravens and a 22K goldleafed skull. I surrounded them with brass coils, and set the whole top in deep epoxy. The top and base are rimmed in dark wenge, and the sides are ziricote with maple biscuit joints. It has a brass lock and ornate brass key, and the inside bottom is lined with red suede. It's our first locking box, and we love it. The ziricote is as smooth as glass. Below is a picture of the inside. Also below are new box tops and bases. First, the pieces for our new glass-topped box: birds etched in a circle over a base painted like a sunset, with a 22K goldleafed sun. The epoxy paint is so glossy that the birds are reflected in it. This will have curly maple sides and top frame.
We just finished the glass and rosewood rose box- it took a bloody week, but it's done, and it's beautiful. The box is made of rosewood with wenge back legs and accents. The inside back is woodburned maple painted with iridescent paint and then lacquered- a hummingbird. Small magnets keep the hinged door from swinging open, and you open it with the silver rose pull. Surrounding it is an etched and carved glass rose. It's now for sale at the top of our "wood and glass boxes" page. Don't mind if I toot our own horn, but it's really fabulous- very detailed, and every side is beautiful. It put me in the mood for more hummingbirds. Also, below, a woodburning of a pair of herons in snow for the outside of a box, and a crow flying in the summer sun for the inside base of a "duality" box which also satisfies my current bird fervor: white bird/black bird, winter/summer, light/dark. Now I'm off to Manhattan for my holiday to attend opera (Tosca), theater (Betrayal with Daniel Craig), have Chistmas dinner at the Russian Tea Room, shop at Mood Fabric, and walk in Central Park. Suck it, everybody stuck elsewhere for Christmas! I'm in an very bird mood recently, and it's been cheering me to woodburn ravens- lots and lots of ravens. Beside and below are two new efforts: A goldleafed skull surrounded by ravens and brass coils, set in epoxy. And a goldleafed angel surrounded by ravens. I think these will probably become boxes- I love the goldleaf combined with the black woodburned ravens. Also below, a new box in the works- rosewood with a back of maple with a woodburned and painted hummingbird on it to surprise you when you open it. It will be surrounded by an etched and carved glass surround of a rose and leaves on a long, winding stem. The picture is of the box being clamped together, along with the glass rose surround. It will be just beautiful- with a rosewood door on the front with a silver rose pull to open it. New boxes are coming- here is a Medusa top, and ain't she scary? This is woodburned and painted maple. The inside base will be a white Pegasus on a black background, since Pegasus sprung from the blood of Medusa after Perseus cut off her head. The snakes on this, on the black background, turned out very well. And below- a new Little Red Riding Hood Box (woodburned and painted maple top and base, ipe sides), with a wolf inside, and a new glass-topped box: koi etched swimming under lily pads and a water lily. The box is swirly mahogany, and the inside base is lacquered blue and green in watery swirls. It will be lovely. The pic is of the top being clamped together. Holiday cheer to all who love Greek mythology, fairy tales which seriously threaten girls' lives in weird psychosexual ways, and tranquil pools of swimming fish. I've been woodburning more bones recently- trying to get my skeletons right. This is a series of skeletons that may have finally exhausted my need to woodburn bones. They're all on maple, woodburned and most with some epoxy paint. Eventually we'll get around to making these into boxes:
Hinged pecan box with turquoise inlay above. Below, new painted and woodburned box tops in an anatomical vein. I've been into veins, bones, and organs recently. Plus, some more practice with faces.
We were accepted into the Art in the Park show in Dallas on Oct. 5! It's in the park directly across from the Dallas Museum of Art, and only 50 artists were selected to participate. We're thrilled. My best friend of 24 years, Eva Radke, in most ways is a wonderful person, but I asked her to send me a black and white photo of her face so I could woodburn a picture of her, and she did not do it. So now she is publicly punished here- I image googled her, found a photo, and produced the woodburning below. It's not perfect, but it's pretty close to what she really looks like. Those twitty blondes are hard to do right. Send me a better black and white, you bad girl, and I'll try again. On to the good about Eva: she is a green goddess. She has built a beautiful business (Film Biz Recycling) turning the film industry's trash into gold, and is always environmentally aware, and always doing good, beautiful, practical things with her hands. Hence I gave her the green and growing hands. Will Eva read this post? Or is she too busy not taking photos for me? Anyway, my practice with faces continues.
Also in the green vein: a portrait of Joan Baez, who is a real hero of mine. I am in total agreement with this facebook page. Joan deserves a Nobel Peace Prize WAY more than that cult member Mother Teresa or our President (who is pretty busy not being peaceful now). A new box: padauk with etched glass top and woodburned and painted maple base. The top is from an X-ray of hands, and I got in a really sweet lovey mood for the base (not hard when you're watching Tom make boxes). It's both anatomical AND adorable. It's also hinged. In case you can't tell, the glass top is only clear over the red heart on the base. And my new woodburned face: Sylvia Plath, surrounded by crows. This one turned our really nice, if sort of goth-ish and disturbing. I still love Plath, although as I get older, I think Ted Hughes was actually a far better poet. If you haven't read his great book of poetry Crow, get to it.
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AuthorTom Beach and Amanda Walker Archives
September 2015
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